I just wanted to play my natural attacking game: Prithvi

LUCKNOW: After scoring a hundred in his Ranji Trophy debut in January this year, young Prithvi Shaw on Monday celebrated yet another great day in the game. The batsman believes in an attacking play even though he is playing the longer format of the game. His style of batting made him toast of all eyes on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy final here. Mumbiakar Shaw, who would be cutting his 18th birthday cake next month only, accepted that he had no idea of any record or anything else while batting for India Red against India Green.

“I just wanted to play my natural attacking game and I didn’t change my plan, stroking the ball well whenever there was an opportunity. I was told by skipper

MUMBIAKAR SHAW, WHO WOULD BE CUTTING HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY CAKE NEXT MONTH ONLY, ACCEPTED THAT HE HAD NO IDEA OF ANY RECORD OR ANYTHING ELSE WHILE BATTING FOR INDIA RED AGAINST INDIA GREEN

Dinesh Karthik from the other end to play my natural game and I stuck to that,” Shaw told HT at the end of day’s play.

Becoming second youngest player to score a century on debut in Duleep Trophy after master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, right-hand opener Shaw admitted that he kept waiting for the lose deliveries to punish.

“Though ball was turning and even I had to reach out to ball for my strokes sometimes, I enjoyed my outing in the middle. There was no pressure on me to execute a certain plan for the side.”

Playing just his first match with pink ball and that too under lights, Shaw admitted that there was a lot difference to bat under the sunlight and the floodlight. “Colour of the ball became darker under the lights and I had to adjust my shots, but there was no sighting problem.” Admiring the red-clay turf here, Shaw admitted that even though on a turning wicket like this, batting was quite exciting for him. “Barring a few deliveries which skid like anything, it was natural bounce and speed. I was committed to play with straight bat as DK bhai had told me not to play risky shots,” said Shaw.